How to Drink Like LeBron: Full Bodied Reds

BleacherReport recently tapped 3 top sommeliers to analyze LeBron James’ wine tastes, as evidenced by his Instagram account @kingjames. The panel of experts included Cedric Nicaise, wine director at Eleven Madison Park, and 2 top sommeliers from the movie SOMM: Master Sommelier Dustin Wilson and DLynn Procter, who is now wine ambassador for Penfolds.

The verdict? LeBron likes full bodied reds, with an inclination towards cabernet-based blends. And, either he’s got great taste or “somebody really good in his corner telling him which wine to drink,” says DLynn Proctor.

The lineup was global, with a general skew towards younger cabernets ranging in the $300-500 price point. Safe picks included the familiar Opus One Napa Valley Red Wine, Tenuta San Giudo Sassiccaia, and Château Pontet-Canet, a fifth-growth Bordeaux from the Pauillac region.

More interesting Instagram features included the Colgin “IX Estate” Syrah. This pick had the somms raving, as Colgin ranked pretty high on their books for Napa Valley producers. According to Proctor, a single-vineyard syrah is a rare find in the heart of Napa Valley, making this a unique selection.

In the spirit of the playoffs and posting a Warriors perspective, we did check Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant’s Instagram feeds. Their accounts are quite devoid of wine photos, but we’ll be following to see if things change. Check out the article on BleacherReport for more.